The Promise of Forever
by hello-there-darling42
Summary: The 11th Doctor finds a way back to the parallel world to find a greif stricken Rose Tyler. Since losing tentoo Rose had been waiting his return, except now he has a different face. He promises her forever but can he keep it? (Ponds along for the ride, River may or may not appear)
1. Forever Then? Forever

It was that familiar whooshing noise that cause Rose to jump up to her feet from the grass in the park. She searched around, scanning everything nearby until she made out a blue box materializing next to a dumpster.

Rose didn't even think about, didn't say a word to her mum or Pete who was playing with Tony next to her, she just ran. Ran as fast as she possibly could to her home, to her Doctor, to the TARDIS.

She began to politely knock on the blue doors, and then began to almost slam her knuckles on it, which hurt and finally was practically pounding on the door.

Behind the locked door stood the Doctor, who watched the pink and yellow human on a screen he pulled down. He saw he screaming for him to come out, her head through the wooden door, knew she knew it was him. But he didn't move.

She was happy here. She had her meta crisis Doctor, she didn't need him. She was happy here, probably pregnant with his baby, maybe even has a child by now, and a house with a mortgage and proper furniture. She had everything the Doctor could never give her.

Just as he reached to pull the lever to send him back to his own universe he looked at her one last time and realized she was crying.

The pounding had stopped, now she was sitting on the heels of her feet on the grass sobbing. Sobbing to let her in please, saying she knew he was in there, saying that she just wanted to see him one last time even if he didn't want her anymore. And most importantly saying how alone she was and seeing him would fix it all. Rose was alone.

The Doctor unlocked and opened the TARDIS door and bent down to pick up Rose's chin to look at him. "I'm not the same anymore, Rose Tyler. But why would you ever be alone?"

Rose stood up, the Doctor copying her movement seconds after. Her head once again looking down at the floor, still crying. "He's been dead, 3 months now. Got himself killed by a wandering cyberman. That stupid man, stupid, stupid man…"

The Doctor grabbed her into a hug that she returned weakly, obviously distraught over her loss and the fact that he wasn't her Doctor.

He pulled her into the TARDIS and placed her down on a seat next to the controls and kissed her her forehead gently. "I'm sorry Rose,"

Rose looked up at him, head still down but brown eyes peering up at him under her eyebrows. "When did you change?"

"Remember that man, on New Years, few months before you met me? You couldn't see him, he was in the shadows. That was me, it was after that Rose."

The Doctor voice was soft and soothing to her, and even though it wasn't her Doctor she was calmed by it. The TARDIS calmed her even though the interior had changed entirely. His touched calmed her, even though it wasn't the same. The vague familiarities were what soothed her, especially when she felt his two hearts beating as he pulled her into his embrace.

"Why'd you change it?" Rose was clearly asking about the appearance as she gazed around the room. "I liked the old one, but this is good too."

"You like her?" He smiled at her as he stood up and stretched out his hand for her. "Can I show you something?"

Rose nodded and grabbed his hand, his cool skin felt nice against her burning palm. He lead her down a hall, she obviously hadn't recognized, to a door.

She immediately recognized it as her room. It was single wooden door, with scratches along the panel. With a piece of tape stuck to the smooth dark wood from when the Doctor posted a note on her door and she didn't get all the tape off. There was even a smudge of pink nailpolish from when she had hit her wet nails against it.

"You kept it?" She reached for the handle and smiled as she pulled it open to see it was exactly how she'd left it. Knickers in the corner and all- although she wished the Doctor hadn't seen that regardless of what regeneration he was in.

"Still across from mine too, same hall too, just different decorations. In case you came back, of course." No not because he thought she was coming back. It was because he hadn't had the heart to rid all her stuff and dump it in a room he never looked at along with many others. She was more than a box of clothes and items to him.

"Wait," Rose made her way to the bed and picked up a small picture of her. "This wasn't here."

"I put it there, in, uh, case you forgot what you looked like." He rushed out the sentence quickly, knowing it didn't make any sense. In truth he had curled up in her blankets for sometime after she had gone, clutching her picture and trying to smell the faint scent of her still stuck in the sheets.

"In case I forgot," Rose laughed and looked at him, smiling. "You put it here then?"

"Yes,"

"Why? Really why? Because I haven't forgot what I've looked like before so,"

"I- I missed you," He stuttered out as he rubbed the back of his neck looking down at the floor. "I wanted to remember you,"

"Like a grave," Rose whispered as she laid the picture back down on the blue sheets before looking up at him. "Who else had traveled with you? Besides Donna and Martha?"

"Um, they're actually-"

The Doctor was interrupted by a sharp scottish voice cutting through the air. "Doctor! Doctor when are we leaving? Can I take a look outside? Where have we landed?"

"That's Amy," He smiled sheepishly at Rose, who looked very slightly jealous he had yet another girl with him.

"Are you…?" Rose asked, not really wanting to know but just in case. "I mean you'd figured I was happy it would make sense."

"God no!" The Doctor practically cringed at the thought and remembered how bad he felt for Rory. Amy was good hearted and kind and most certainly brilliant, but he wouldn't want to be with her like that. Especially since he considered her more of family than anything of that sort. "She's married, her husband Rory is travelling with us too."

With that Amy shouted again. "Rory, come on let's see what's out there."

The Doctor dashed down the hall they've come out to the TARDIS control room just in time to see Rory carrying him and Amy's coats. "Don't go, I want you to meet someone." He said hurriedly, a giant smile plastered onto his face.

It was if Rose was on cue and just finished walking out of the hall into the room as he finished his sentence.

"This is Rose Tyler," He ran over to her and gripped the small of her back with one hand and the other he used to point to the Ponds with. "This is Amelia, Amy, Pond and Rory the Roman!"

Rory grumbled and crossed his arms. "I'm not Rory the Roman."

"Course you are," The Doctor beamed at them as he pushed Rose forward to them.

Rose smiled politely and shook hands with them both, citing it was excellent to meet them both.

"Did you come out from where we landed? Are we in London?" Amy asked her curiously.

"Sorta, parallel universe London. Basically the same but a bit different." Rose explained as she walked over to the door and opened it for them to see still looking at Amy and Rory "Look,"

When both their faces turned to horror, and the Doctor's pale she decided to actually look at what was outside and was surprised to find… her mother.

A very angry Jackie Tyler stood outside the TARDIS, arms crossed and face as red as a tomato. She tapped her foot on the ground in annoyance, even Rose became scared. It didn't even take 10 seconds for her to burst into this new TARDIS and start screaming at the closest male, who happened to be Rory.

"Look at you! Leaving Rose twice, having her husband die, and now coming back to make it all better? You even changed! You couldn't even keep this… THING, the same. Do you have a hobby of hurting my daughter, I should slap you Doctor." Rory looked absolutely horrified as the short blonde screamed at him. Rory was so scared his arms were up in surrender and he could barely manage to choke out he wasn't the Doctor.

Jackie would probably apologize later, but instead turned to the actual Doctor, anger still boiling inside of her. "You then! You bloody bastard! Leaving my daughter all alone! First time you left her she cried for months hoping you'd find a way back. And then when she did you left her with another you and he went off and died! You have to nerve to come back and- and-" Jackie slapped him square across the face causing him to blink several times before he answered her.

"Jackie I tried, I really tried. I thought she was happy, I just wanted to see her again, once last time- happy."

"Happy! That idiot bloke ran off and got himself killed, and left my Rose all alone!"

"Jackie please," Jackie's hand began to raise again causing the Doctor to back up slowly in caution. He was over 1000 years old and he had ever only been slapped by Rose Tyler mother.

"Please! That's what she said when she was crying for you both back! Thought you'd know when he died and come back for her but you never did!" Anger was still laced in her voice, which made Rose step forward and place a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her.

"Mum, it's fine. I'm fine see? All in one piece, me." Rose said softly behind her mother, hand still gripping her shoulder. "He's back now, see? All better, back now. We could probably go home too. He'll bring up back, won't he?"

Roses eyes pleaded for a yes at the Doctor to which he happily complied, anything to get Jackie Tyler out of his arse. "Yes absolutely, maybe I'll even move to some other place. Paris? How about paris? I could bring you to New Earth in the future! May need some new clothes, but still! What about Clom? Barcelona? The planet or the city, whichever you desire. Oi, Jackie Tyler please don't slap me again!"

Jackie lowered her hand as Rose's grip tightened around her mum's shoulder, an apologetic look in her eyes as she glanced around the room. Amy and Rory stood pressed against a corner, even the Doctor looked terrified of her mother and he had seen the Devil himself.

Jackie soon turned to Rose, a look of disbelief on her features. "You're just gunna leave with him again then? After all that? So he can just get you lost on another planet, or leave you?"

"I will never leave her Jackie," The Doctor interjected as he stepped forwards, knowingly putting himself at risk of another slap. "I will never leave her again."

"Sure you won't." She started sarcastically before continuing. "And what happens when she gets old and can't travel anymore? You're sure not bloody settling down anywhere I can tell you that!"

"I'll stay with her," He gulped down the mere thought of her getting old and dying and continued on. "We can get a house, for the Time being. Or we'll just park the TARDIS on a planet she likes and live there. Live there until she's… we'll just stay there. I promised her forever."

"You can't give her your forever."

"And that's my punishment then," He whispered to her.

The Doctor saw Jackie's eyes soften, and for a moment she could see the immense pain he would suffer, had already suffered. She knew he was the last of the Time Lords but never truly knew what it meant till now. The Doctor was alone.

Jackie raised her finger, a stern but kinder voice than before. "Keep her safe, and bring me back to the other world because I am surely seeing her again."

"Done,"

With that Jackie Tyler strutted out the door, pony tail bumping as she slammed the TARDIS door behind her.

Rose walked over to this new bow tied Doctor and grabbed his hand in hers to which he smiled at her brightly.

"Well, will you come with me again? See the stars? Never did get to take you to Barcelona." He asked her, hope burning just as brightly as the sun in his eyes.

"Course,"

"Forever then?"

"Forever."

* * *

Idk this maybe a One-shot or not. For now I'll keep it as on going. If you want me to write more Eleven x Rose and their adventures I have some cool ideas. But be warned, i have never written Amy, and find her very hard to write and have yet to find someone to capture her the way she is in the show while reading fanfiction. Also I'm american so idk all the terms and how to write everything since i'm not from Britian.

If you want me to continue just say so :) Please review, follow and favorite :) Thanks for reading my fellow whovarins :)

-Naomi


	2. Festivmas

It wasn't until a week later that they left the parallel world. Arrangements had to be made about what would happen with their money, saying their goodbyes, and packing all their things. Pete took some convincing, saying they would be better off here with all his money and him taking care of him. But Jackie wouldn't budge, and told him that wherever Rose was going that's where she belonged.

They gathered up their things and packed them all into the TARDIS, Jackie insisted she'd bring half their furniture with them and shoved it into a spare room. Naturally she also asked if she could bring some of Pete's money and if it would work in the other world. It would work, and they could bring all of it. Except he'd have to change his name, since Pete had been dead for at least 20 years back home.

The Doctor dropped off Jackie, Pete, Tony and even Mickey (since his gran had gone) into Cardiff instead of London. He found them a place and got all their ID's and information organized. Jackie was easy of course, saying she simply had survived and was in hiding. Pete had to change his last name to Sanders, to which they all agreed on. Jackie also changed her last name, as well as Tony's. Now Rose was the only Tyler officially left.

Rose liked her last name and the Doctor was glad she decided to keep it because he did too. Rose also grew quite fond of the Ponds as she learned more about them and they told her what they had been doing with the Doctor. They told her most everything, except the part about River Song and the Doctor.

Overall it took about a week for them to leave the parallel universe and a week for them to settle down again, giving the Doctor plenty of free time with Rose Tyler.

"Well Jackie, all settled in now?" The Doctor hugged her and smiled. "Hope this house is alright. Five bedrooms, 3 baths, basement. I don't know how many Pete had or how many you were used to or-"

Jackie shushed him and pulled him into an embrace once again. "It's perfect Doctor thank you."

He nodded as Rose went to hug her mum, Pete and Tony goodbye. She knew she'd be back, so she wasn't too worried about never seeing them again. And before they left again Jackie gave a stern warning to keep her daughter safe or you'll have her on his tail. Jackie Tyler on his tail was scarier than anything he had seen or could ever imagine.

"So Rose, Ponds, where to?" The Doctor smiled happily, twirling around on his heels as he began to pull buttons.

"Home for us, for now." Amy grabbed Rory's arm and smiled at him. Rory held her tightly back before Amy continued. "Give you some time alone,"

Amy winked at them which caused Rose to blush a deep shade of scarlet, and for the Doctor's ears to turn bright red.

"Doctor," The red haired girl walked forward, eyes in disbelief and mocking pleasure. "Are you… blushing?"

"No!," He turned from them and covered his ears with his hands. "No blushing for me, The Doctor, a 1000 year old space alien."

"It's been a hundred years for you, Doctor?" Rose asked as she strode forward towards him. "Really?"

"Since you? Yes," He turned to her, the blush was gone now, instead there was guilt. "I didn't know a way back, and then I met Amelia right after I regenerated…" The Doctor babbled on about their whole first adventure explaining that for two years he didn't have a chance to go see her again, and the other years he'd been traveling on and off with them. They lived in an apartment, while he saw the stars and saved worlds. Same old, same old.

"You don't need to explain yourself Doctor, I'm not scolding you."

"I wasn't alone though, all that time I had… Doesn't matter who I had I wasn't alone." He had River. But River seemed to show up less frequently as time went on, the thought saddening him. He knew one day he'd never see her again, and he knew why.

Rose opened her mouth to speak but decided to not press it and nodded instead. Of course the Doctor had moved on with his life. She was gone, he thought she was happy, he didn't know she wasn't. But it still didn't make that hurt any less.

"So, Ponds, back to the Pond life?" The Doctor began to pull levers and as soon as the TARDIS started to move Rose grabbed onto the console, a smile growing on her face. Oh, how she missed this.

Amy and Rory got out of the TARDIS and said their goodbyes. Amy told him that he'd better see her back here in a week, 12 O'clock sharp. The Doctor nodded and hugged her, although he'd probably be late. Even with a time machine the Doctor was rubbish at showing up to places on time.

"Rose Tyler," The Doctor shut the door to the TARDIS and put on a goofy smile for his pink and yellow human, "My Rose Tyler, defender of the Earth."

They ran to each other, embracing each other. The Doctor lifted her off the ground, a truly happy smile on his face, and spun her around. He could feel her laughing into his neck as he did and put her back down.

"Is it alright, that I changed? Still the Doctor, eh?" He asked her as he pushed some wandering strands of hair behind her ear.

"My Doctor," Rose grabbed her hand, a giant grin still etched onto her pretty face.

"Rose Tyler, how i've missed you." The Doctor once again hugged her tightly before running around to several different controls of the TARDIS. "So where to? We could see anything, the stars, planets, the creation of planets- don't worry I'll keep us safe- oh! How about we go see this beautiful planet? Planet of Crystal, has a name, but even I can't pronounce it. There's a crystal bridge linking the planet and their moons. And the people are simply delightful."

Rose let him babble on about different places, about four of them, until she interrupted him and spoke up. "Bring me somewhere… fantastic."

"You got it," With a few pulls of some levers, pushing a few buttons the Doctor grabbed onto the console edge, getting ready to embark on another adventure with Rose Tyler. "Geronimo!"

They landed on a planet that was entirely consisted on Christmas traditions and the holidays. All year round it snowed, and the people there looked more like elves than humans. They were short in stature with pointed ears making Rose begin to wonder if they actually were elves.

"Festivmas, a planet of Christmas." The Doctor linked their hands together as he smiled down at her, his other hand placed in his coat pocket. "And I'll tell you what Rose, these are actual elves."

The Doctor whispered the last words and hastily added to his sentence. "But don't call them that, they're technically called elevians, but you would know them as just elves."

"So then where's Santa?"

"You're looking at him," The Doctor smiled down at her as he eyes widened in response to his words.

"You're Santa?!" Rose exclaimed.

"Red bike when you were twelve? Yeah. But only sometimes, every few years I give Santa a break during the holidays and take over him. I also got you that Barbie dream house when you were seven." He said it as casually as he could, but he was secretly delighted that Rose was so enthusiastic about it.

"So you knew me before you met me?"

"Well, you were just a name on a paper then, now you're much more."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." He smiled.

They walked in a comfortable silence for a few minutes until they reached a shop at the corner of Candy Cane Lane and Cookie Road and entered.

The shop was full of winter things, and Rose hadn't realized until them how cold she was exactly. Her hands heated up quickly to the point they burned a little in the warm shop, and she began to look for mittens. She had found some with a cat face on them and even a matching hat. The Doctor laughed at her as she put them on but then continued on saying how "of course he would buy them."

He whipped out some universal credit card after picking out a red and white striped hat, that looked like a candy cane, and paid for the items.

"How does that work? The credit card I mean," Rose asked as they strolled along the snow covered sidewalk, the air smelling of freshly baked cookies.

"Oh, well I did a lot of favors around the universe, saved this planet twice actually. Works on most places I've been, except Earth. Very ungrateful your people, and not technologically advanced in the least. Just kinda let me buy what I want, never buy much anyways so it doesn't make much of a difference to anyone. And even if I do, I jump around to different times so no one notices."

"Mhm," They continued walking for about an hour, Rose taking in the sights.

It was Christmas, looked like Christmas. There were lights strung up on every house on every window, decorations of snowflakes were strung from street lamps, and mistletoe hung from overhangs and doorways. It was snowing lightly, which the Doctor told her was a everyday occurrence. The sweet melodic voices pierced the air as they walked past a group of carolers, red songbooks held in front of their faces. Rose even noticed that one of the girls had the same gloves and hat as her. Rose enjoyed the simplistic, calm planet until she smelled the distinct scent of hot cocoa and dragged the Doctor over to a stand nearby.

"Best hot cocoa in the universe, here," The Doctor sipped the cocoa and looked thoroughly confused when Rose started to laugh at him when he finished the sip. "What?"

"You have a whipped cream mustache," She pointed as the sweet sound of her giggles persisted through the air around them. Even this made the Doctor smile.

Rose took a sip of her cocoa, the same thing happening to her as she suspected. They both laughed together, joking as they made their way back to the TARDIS.

They had finished their drinks by the time they got them and tossed them in a garbage pail, licking off the last remnants of their froffy facial hair.

The TARDIS's warmth felt nice against Rose's skin as she walked through the door. She removed her coat and deposited on the seat near the console. Rose hadn't noticed, but the TARDIS began to hum her song again, making him smile brightly at her.

"Why you so happy Doctor?" She asked, sitting down, gloves still on her hands.

"The Doctor and Rose Tyler in the TARDIS just how it should be. How could one not be happy?" The Doctor smiled at her and walked over to where she was sitting and pushed her hair behind her ear once again.

Rose smiled. "Of course,"

The Doctor reached over and pulled some green leaves out of her hair, until he realized they weren't just any green leaves. These leaves had small red berries attached to them, which he immediately recognized.

"Rose Tyler, did you plan this?" He held out the mistletoe in his hand to show her, a smile still on his face. He definitely wouldn't mind if she did, he would love to kiss her.

"Nope,"

"Do you go by that human tradition?" He asked hopefully, bending down so he was eye level to her. His legs shifted to get as close to her as possible without touching, as he desperately awaited an answer.

"Now I do," They both leaned into each other, lips growing closer each passing second. He had to only be two inches away from her perfect pink lips when the TARDIS door swung open.

In surprise they both jumped, the Doctor to his feet and Rose in her chair. Looking over he saw a tall curly haired women standing there in nothing but a loose grey halter dress with boots.

"Hello Sweetie," She smiled at him, not noticing Rose was in the room.

Before Rose could say anything the Doctor answered her question. "Hello River,"

* * *

Yay! Since you guys reviewed and said you wanted more I happily complied. But now River's in the mix ;) Leave a review and let me know what you think! :D Thanks for reading!

-Naomi


	3. 3 Whole Words, 8 Letters

**PLEASE READ. 1) thank you all for reading c8 2) this chapter had a lot of River in it, so if you don't like her then don't read the second part. I will put a summary at the bottom so you know what happened. 3) YES THIS IS STILL A ROSE X ELEVEN STORY, River is not getting in the way of anything, you'll see what happens. All ties into my plan *wiggles eyebrows* Happy Reading!**

* * *

"Who's she?" Rose asked after about a minute of continued silence.

The Doctor turned to her smiling. "River, River Song. Ponds daughter,"

"I'm his wife," River added as she walked forward to kiss the Doctor on his lips gently. "And you?"

"Rose Tyler, I'm his... friend I suppose." Rose shifted nervously in her seat, a fiddling of her thumbs beginning because of the uncomfortable situation. She was, after all, about to kiss the Doctor when his wife came in.

The Doctor moved from River. He could almost feel the awkward aura running through the air as Rose even attempted to look at her. Had she not noticed their close proximity when walking in? Had the console concealed them from her gaze?

"What? Am I missing something?" River looked between the pair in confusion. "Did I interrupt?"

"Yes."

"No."

Rose and the Doctor both spoke at the same time and surprisingly the Doctor was the one who answered she had indeed interrupted something.

"No I mean, we were just planning our next trip right Rose? Barcelona? How does that sound? I've been meaning to take you there." The Doctor tried to mend the situation as best as he could, his voice becoming uneven as he spotted the mistletoe on the floor.

They all saw it at the same time, including River, and to their luck River picked it up first.

"Care to tell me something, Sweetie?" Her expression was a mixture of sadness, disappointment and a face that simply read I-want-to-kill-you. "Where's mother and why is Rose here?"

"Well, River dear, sit down." Rose moved from the spot quickly allowing River to sit before they began their explanation.

They told her everything, from how Amy and Rory were safe at home to the Doctors history with Rose, right up to the mistletoe. She sat there through the entire thing, not saying a word and eventually stood up.

"Well, suppose I should be going then. Get back to it," river said bitterly as she made her way to the door before the Doctor grabbed her arm.

At this point River knew she was second best. Rose was his everything, and although River knew the Doctor loved her she never knew there was competition. Especially with a girl trapped in a parallel world.

"Stay River, please."

"Goodbye Doctor," she walked out of that big blue box, sadness growing each step of the way.

River knew about Rose before he had told her, she could tell there was someone else he was very much in love with that was on board at one point. She could see the close quarters the Doctor had them in, even though the ship was more than massive. She could tell by the way he looked upset when seeing blondes with their blokes. River knew, she just didn't know her name and didn't think she'd come back.

Inside the TARDIS the Doctor turned to Rose, a plethora of emotions running through his eyes. He was so afraid, but not sure if it was over losing River or losing Rose. Or perhaps it was the answer to the question that ran through his head.

"Are you leaving?" The words came out soberly, with very little confidence.

"Should I?"

He was silent.

"I should,"

The Doctor couldn't help himself as a tear slipped down the side of his cheek, his face turned away from Rose slightly so she wouldn't see. "No,"

"You're married Doctor, I can't take that away." Rose was really trying to convince herself to leave, she didn't want to. She never wanted the Doctor out of her sight again.

"I'm also married to Marilyn Monroe but that doesn't matter," Rose walked towards him, but he maneuvered around her to sit in the seat River was just in. Running his hands through his hair he looked up. "Go on then, leave. I'll take you back home if you'd like. You'll be happy there."

"You-you want me to leave?" Rose choked out the words, obviously close to tears.

_No Rose, I never want you to leave. I want to grab you and throw you into my bed and have you and let that be that. _

But the Doctor didn't say that, the words that came out of his mouth were ones he'd regret forever. "Yes,"

He didn't realize what had happened until he heard the TARDIS door slam and he was chasing after her. Rose was standing outside in the snow, head held in her hands as she sobbed.

The Doctor was rubbish at this and just put a hand on her shoulder, but she pulled away and whispered, "You promised forever, and then you go and leave like you always do." Rose had turned to him now, and began to scream. "Is that what you do? You only keep us around until you're bored? Is it fun Doctor having all the time in the world?"

Neither of them apprehended they were kissing until Rose felt his two heart beats against her chest, and the Doctor felt her body against his. He wanted it to go further but didn't, instead he pulled away about a minute later and cupped her face.

"I will always want you. I wanted you when I had big ears and leather, when I wore converse and now. I will never throw you away Rose Marion Tyler." The look in his green eyes read an expression that was undoubtedly true, but doubt was still nuzzled into Rose's mind. The Doctor doubted many things, knew a lot of things, seen a lot of things and out of them all he was sure of Rose, knew he needed Rose, and saw the beauty Rose had offered him. He believed in her.

"What if I'm gone?" She whimpered into his large hands as she leaned into one of them.

"I will still want you," He pulled her in moments after that, both their eyes blurry with tears of anger and then happiness. "I promise Rose, never will I leave."

_You might,_ Rose thought to herself.

* * *

It had been weeks since the fight, with Amy and Rory now back in the TARDIS, they set off on new adventures. Some were dangerous, some just fun and intriguing, and some were scary, but all in all it was fantastic.

The Doctor was waiting for River to call him, or show up, or anything. He tried contacting her several times, writing languages she knew on various planets telling her to "come home, sweetie." Even though the Doctor did choose Rose over River, he did love her. And if Rose never showed back up he would've continued loving her until she'd gone just like he had with Rose. The Doctor was frustrated with himself because he knew he ruined something good, he could even feel the memories changing in his head. He remembered the old but they were being fogged out, being replaced with various times of angry and distant Rivers. Even when she died for him, her words changed. They were no longer nice and soft, about how they were to go on many adventures, but now she told him how it _could've _been, not were.

He had just dropped off the Ponds and Rose back on Earth so they could visit their families and friends, when River made another unexpected visit through the TARDIS doors after landing on Clom.

"So you love her then?" River walked in wearing a black dress, a black purse in hand. "I just finished dinner with King Extradidis, ruler of Clom."

"Exciting, how is the old chap? Haven't seen him in 400 years for me, maybe only 5 for him. He wouldn't even recognize me," The Doctor was clearly avoiding her first question and walked around the TARDIS console to her.

"You didn't answer my question," She sang, putting her purse down on the same chair she had sat in last time.

"Yes, but it's the same for you,"

"You can't be with two women at the same time!" Oh how she wanted to slap his pretty little face, and she would've if she hadn't seen how his eyes looked.

His green eyes were sadder than she'd ever seen them. The darkness in there were extremely dominating compared to how it usually hid, tucked under all the bad. "I'm sorry River,"

"I'll make it work; when she's not here you give me a call." The Doctor's eyes lit up from her words which made River give a slight smile before continuing on. "But on one condition,"

"Anything, River,"

"You tell me how you feel about me and answer any question I have about you and her."

His Adam's apple bobbed up and down his throat as he gulped a panic running over him. He had never told anyone, at least not like this. A few times he said it to his family but never, when he actually loved someone, did he say it.

"River," His brows furrowed, desperate to make the words come out. He couldn't lose her, couldn't doom her to a miserable life. "Will you be happy if I say it? Will you still hate me?"

She smiled at him. "Sweetie, I could never hate you."

"I have to say it though, no way out? Even if I bring you out to some fancy, romantic planet or showering you with whatever you want for a hundred years before going back?"

"No,"

"River…" His eyes pleaded with her, he couldn't say it. If the words left him it would mean it's true, it would hurt more when she just stopped showing up one day.

"Why can't you?"

"Because I thought it would hurt too much," The Doctor whispered to her as he cupped her face with his right hand. He stroked her cheek lightly as a tear ran down it when she closed her eyes.

"I believe I could've coped," She laughed shakily into his palm.

"I thought it would hurt me," The Doctor leaned down to her ear and whispered the three words into them before coming back up to face her. Everything he ever feared just said in three simple words, now making him the most vulnerable person alive. "And I was right."

Now it was River's turn to grab his face in her palm, a small smile crossing it before she turned and grabbed her bag. "Well ought to be going them,"

"Wait- what?" He chased after her, intercepting her path before she walked right out of the door. "You're not staying? You're _leaving_?"

River laughed at him, as she frantically looked over her for signs that he had done something wrong. "I'm coming back, I told the King I was at the bathroom."

"Ah," He moved out of her way, allowing her access to the blue wood.

As she opened the door to step out she turned to him, "Have you ever told her that?"

"Almost, once," The old Time Lord winced at the memory of his past self, standing being projected on Bad Wolf Bay before disappearing.

"Why not?"

"I couldn't, the sun burnt up before I got to tell her. Once I was back there again, I couldn't have told her or she wouldn't have stayed,"

"Tell her now then, before she fades."

The Doctor was taken aback at her words, a confused look on his face, causing an amuse reaction from River. "What?"

"Every girl needs to know, we have to stick together," River was halfway out the door before turning around to him again. "See you soon, sweetie,"

* * *

**Like I promised, a summary. **

**Part 1) Basically they tell River everything about what has happened between them, and even told them that they were about to kiss. River gets upset and leaves. Rose is not feeling second best and threatens to leave causing the doctor to chase after her when she walks out of the TARDIS. She goes off, and they kiss. The doctor then tells her that he will never leave and will always want her. she asks what if she's gone and he responds that he will always want her, even then. But it finishes with Rose doubting that still. **

**Part 2) the Doctor drops off the Ponds and Rose back on Earth for a bit after a few week of adventures with then, he parks on Clom, alone. River walks in and asks he if loves rose, and then tells of her dinner with the King of clom. He eventually tells her that he does love rose, although the feels the same way about river. (never actually saying he loves either simply replying with "yes, but it's the same for you,"). she says he cant have them both but then says she'll make it work, only being there when Rose isn't around but he must tell her he loves her. he doesn't want to but eventually tells River he loves her and they share a moment before river leaves to finish her dinner with the king of clom. before she leaves she tells the Doctor to tell rose the same thing. **

**So i hoped you liked that :) theres more Rose and Eleven in the next chapter, an adventure is coming up soon (still planning it), and River will be added back into the story eventually, probably not frequently though. So those who are not fans of river don't worry much. I hope you enjoyed :) If you have any questions to comments or reviews please review :))) **

**-naomi**


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